More than 10,000 defibrillators could be faulty
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- Published: Monday, 22 May 2017 07:39
- Written by News Editor
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More than 10,000 defibrillators in the UK may be affected by a fault, which means they will not work in an emergency. The fault affects LIFEPAK 1000 devices, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said. The manufacturer, Physio-Control, has sent a safety alert to those with the devices concerned, urging them to check the battery connection.
The defibrillators are intended for use by anyone in public places. They are found in schools, airports, leisure centres, hospitals, clinics and ambulances. Physio-Control said it had received 34 reports of incidents where customers had attempted to use the defibrillator and it had shut down unexpectedly during treatment. The MHRA said the fault was caused by an intermittent connection between the battery and device contacts because of wear and corrosion. This could fail to deliver an electric shock to resuscitate a patient, it said. There are 10,068 LIFEPAK 1000 devices in the UK.
The MHRA says: “All LIFEPAK 1000 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) - risk of device shutting down unexpectedly during patient treatment and possible failure to deliver therapy. They say the following action is required:
- Identify all LIFEPAK 1000 defibrillators in your possession.
- Ensure that all those responsible for the AED follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s Field Safety Notice (FSN).
- If you have already acted on this FSN, no further action is required.
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